| What: | 80 United Workers Union members and Merlin Entertainment workers at Sealife, across both Sydney and Melbourne sites will be rallying and stopping work over low pay and unsafe working conditions |
| When: | Saturday, 20 December 11:30 AM, Sealife Sydney and Sealife Melbourne |
| Where: | Sealife Sydney, 1-5 Wheat Road, Sydney, Darling Harbour, Sealife Melbourne, King Street, Melbourne |
| Who: | 80 United Workers Union members across Sydney and Melbourne sites and United Workers Union officials |
More than 10,000 Sydney and Melbourne visitors are set to have the first weekend of the school holidays disrupted as workers at Sealife Sydney and Sealife Melbourne stop work and implement several work bans following a refusal from the parent company Merlin Entertainment to negotiate improvements to low pay and unsafe staffing practices.
Merlin Entertainment, owner of popular family-friendly wildlife attractions and entertainment venues Sealife, Wildlife Australia and Madam Tussauds, will see a significant disruption to their most popular and profitable outfit Sealife with around 80 United Workers Union members across Sealife Sydney and Sealife Melbourne stopping work this weekend (Saturday 20th December at 11:30AM).
In addition to the planned stop work, United Workers Union members will also be engaging in a series of work bans, set to impact customer experience at Sealife including the cancellation of educational talks about the animals for visitors, and UWU members will be speaking with customers about the current workplace dispute and educating the public on the poor pay and conditions Merlin employees are working under.
Sealife workers are passionate about their jobs and the animals they care for. Employees who work in animal keeper roles at Sealife often hold higher education qualifications to provide exceptional care for the animals, with the majority holding a TAFE qualification or higher, with some holding a Master of Marine Biology. Yet, these highly qualified and tertiary educated workers are making just 67c-$2.80 above the award.
Wildlife keepers at Sealife and Wildlife Australia on average are paid between $4-5 less per hour than their counterparts at Zoos Victoria and Taronga Zoo for the same job.
Sealife staff are also raising concerns about a lack of safe staffing measures or fatigue management protocols at Sealife during periods of increased guest numbers such as school holiday peaks. Workers are calling for minimum staffing levels to match guest surges and rotating rosters to protect staff and public safety, reducing fatigue and burnout.
Whilst Sealife staff work to deliver experiences for families and keep patrons safe, their wages have not risen with the costs of living: instead, they’re sinking. Merlin workers deserve a living wage that keeps them afloat.
Quotes attributable to Godfrey Moase, United Workers Union, Director of Allied Industries
“When mums and dads are stumping up close to $200 for a family of four at Sealife, they would rightly be expecting that their hard-earned money is going back into the pockets of the workers who are providing their family with a magical wildlife experience. But sadly, this is not the case. Many Merlin Entertainment employees are only paid 67 cents above the Award, with the remainder of the profits being shuffled offshore to the C suite in London.”
“Merlin can’t deliver the magic without their workers, who are fighting for fair weekend penalty rates, minimum staffing during peak periods of guest traffic and wages that keep their heads above water with the rising cost of living.”
Quotes attributable to Xander Mae, United Workers Union Delegate at Sealife (Guest Experience)
“Everyone here at Sealife works incredibly hard to ensure that the guests experience ‘Merlin Magic’, all the while we are drowning, sometimes dealing with up to 7000 guests per day during busy periods when we are understaffed. We are carrying a multi-million dollar company on our shoulders but are struggling to afford to live and enjoy our lives on our current wages.”